Mural Artist Thinks Small

Artist known for huge murals now creating small oil paintings and posting a new artwork every day on his Daily Art West blog: www.dailyartwest.com.
Landscapes, seascapes, buildings, figures, animals, still-life, interiors.

The Murrieta, California artist is known for painting huge murals on buildings all over the country. But now he’s busy every day creating artworks that fit in the palm of his hand. More or less daily, Gray posts a new postcard-size oil painting fresh off the easel to his website, www.dailyartwest.com.

The artist sees his blog as a way to connect him with those who love art but can't afford higher prices, opening the door for new or beginning collectors. Buyers can purchase the paintings directly from the site for $125 each. "These would normally sell for about $500 apiece in galleries," said Gray.

His wife, Brenda, elaborates, "Don always has people coming up to him and saying 'I wish I would have bought a painting way back when, when I could afford it.' As an artist's reputation and prices grow over time it's always hard for a new collector or a collector on a budget to buy an established artist's work.”

The painter, who has won numerous awards over a career of more than 30 years, says his daily paintings "document my everyday life— landscapes seen while walking the dog…trips to the beach…objects laying around the house…the way the light strikes a tree or building.” Other subjects include an ongoing series of paintings of his brushes. "I paint them almost as if they were portraits of family members," said Gray. "All these paintings are of things I know and love.”

Viewers who choose to subscribe to the blog are emailed a new painting each morning when it is posted.

“The daily paper arrives on our doorstep every morning, bulging with bad news,” the artist says. “So when my daily painting pops up on someone’s computer screen I’d like to think I’m sending them something beautiful…a little bit of good news.”


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